I'm sorry GF0012-aust, but your informal chats with Navy associates do not offer conclusive evidence that the UK has reduced its very strict adherence to the Perisher principle, which remains a right of passage for any UK Sub commander. They STILL conduct the courses annually (in parallel with the Dutch), they STILL train with and against NATO allies each year, and they STILL have active exchange programmes with the USN.
The only difference being we no longer operate a diesel / conventional fleet, so why run a diesel / conventional course if all UK Submariners are destined to serve on SSN's / SSBN's. The fact that the RN still operates an SSBN national strategic deterrent means that the commanders of such vessels must be tested to the limit, practiced in their art and kept current.
Its more than informal chats - we deal with them on acoustic warfare management issues.
they train less they have in the past -and the access they had is diluted as well. no amount of current vaidation changes that they are on diminished DUCT training schedules and that loss of the conventionals impacts upon it.
we'll just have to agree to disagree
on another note,my personal view is that RN submariners are the best in the world at what they do - do I need to provvide empirical evidence to back that up as well?
I'm providing observations based on my own contact - it can't be helped if people disagree with it. I stand by my own observations as such. The RN sub training has changed out of necessity, the fact that concurrent organic training is no longer available does change the training dynamics as it means that prev littorals training is now dependant on timeslotting into the dutch or the RAN off of WA in the Aust sub training area. Prev, it would have happened in real time just out of scotland. they no longer have that luxury.
my comments have nothing to do with perceptions of competency and capability.
